GMB Force Barnet Change
Monday 23rd August 2010
GMB THREAT OF LEGAL ACTION FORCES BARNET COUNCIL TO BACK
DOWN ON TORY COUNCILLORS ALLOWANCES HIKE
GMB call for public show of
disapproval of council policies on jobs and services at next
council meeting on 14 September.
GMB commented on the news that Tory
controlled Barnet Council has reversed an earlier decision to
increase allowances for councillors after the union had threatened
legal action to secure a Judicial Review to halt the increase.
Tony Warr GMB Senior Organiser said,
"The new decision is clearly one of the biggest U-Turns by
any council in Barnet in decades. It is a shame that in spite of
the widespread public condemnation it took the threat of legal
action by the GMB LondonRegion to
bring Lynne Hillan the Leader of the Council to her senses. Of
course Lynne Hillan will say the decision had nothing to do with
the action GMB took, but she would say that wouldn't
she.
The reality is that for the
Council it would be both costly and wrong to defend the GMB legal
action as there could only be one possible outcome to the
hypocritical and indefensible position the Tories adopted. GMB is
proud to have been able to defend Barnet residents and Council
staff from the excesses of their Councillors.
The Barnet Tories are
hell-bent on their jobs sell-off programme and pay freeze for all
council employees. We would urge all Barnet Council employees
and residents to give the Tory council the reception they deserve
at the next Council meeting on September 14th, at Hendon Town Hall,
The Burroughs, Hendon, London NW4 4BG, when the issue of allowances
will be on the agenda again".
End
Contact: Tony Warr, Senior Organiser on 07710
631336 or GMB Press Office Steve Pryle on 07921 289880 or Rose
Conroy on 07974 251823.